Window guard

ABSTRACT

A window guard made up of a plurality of separate panels and including top and bottom tracks to support them, the panels being positionable in a first, edge-to-edge extended position and in that position extending over a large area and covering the window to be guarded, and also positionable in a second position at one end of the area in which they are stacked transverse to their planes, and exposing the window, the tracks having enlarged trays at that end to receive the stack.

United States Patent. 1191 'Catalano June 18, 1974 [54] WINDOW GUARD 13,142,096 7/1964 Von Munchhausen 49/127 [7 Inventor: J p e a 1218 GrandFOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Chlcago, 60622 28,804 10/1913 GreatBritain .5 160/159 [22] Filed: Nov. 14, 1969 Prima ExaminerDennis L. Talor N 87 '3.- y [211 0 6,963 Altorney, Agent, or Firm-Paul H. Gallagher[52] US. CL... 49/127 51 1111. C1 E05d /26 [571 1 5 ABSTRACT [58] Fieldof Search 49/127, 125, 126, 128, A i d guard made up of a plurality ofseparate 7 49/ 372, 378 panels and including top and bottom tracks tosupport them, the panels being positionable in a first, edge-to-Rafelences Clted edge extended position and in that position extendingUNITED STATES PATENTS over'a large area and; covering the window to be852,683 5/1907 Scullin et al. 49/127 x guarded, and also positionable ina Second Position at 961.876 6/1910 Metz n 49/127 X one end of the areain, which they are stacked trans- 1.251,213 12/1917 Fritz /159 x verseto their planes, and xp sing th window. t 1,352,692 9/1920 Posson 49/127 .tracks having enlarged trays at that end to receive the l,4l4,7835/1922 Lieniz.... 49/127 stack, j 2,169,343 8/1939 Kaul .1 49/1272,792,596 5/1957 Jensen 49/127 3 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures WINDOWGUARD.

BACKGROUND:

The invention resides in the field of guards for covering windows.Heretofore such guards customarily were movable and removable bodily ascomplete units, i.e., at night they were put in position over thewindow, and in the morning they were bodily removed from that positionand stored in another position, usually remote from their guardingposition. Then when they were to be again placed in position over thewindow, they were bodily removed from their storing position andreplaced in position over the window.

In the use of such guards, the operation of putting them up intoposition, and removing them therefrom and placing them in a storageposition, and again taken from a storage position and placed in positionover the window, resulted in greatconsumption of time, and greatphysicalefforts.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:

A broad object of the invention is to provide a novel window guardconstruction in the use of which the disadvantages referred to above areovercome.

Another and broad object of the invention is to provide a window guardof novel construction made up of a plurality of panels which when inextended position form a rigid and effectively unitary guard coveringthe window, and wherein the panels are separate and detachable from eachother and are movable individually to a stacked position at one side ofthe large area which includes the window.

A further object is to provide a construction of the character justreferred to which includes a pair of tracks supporting the panels,arranged above and below the area to be covered, and in which the panelsare supported both in extended position and in retracted and stackedposition at one side of the area, the tracks having an enlarged portionfor receiving the panels when in retracted position.

A still further object is to provide in a window guard construction ofthe foregoing character, novel supporting means operative for retainingthe separate panels together in rigid relation when in extendedposition, and in compact relation when in stacked position, and meansfor releaseably securing or locking the panels in each of their saidpositions. r

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a window guard of the invention arrangedin extended position over thewindow to be guarded;

FIG. 2 is a face view of the guard in extended position as representedin FIG. 1, and taken from the lower right of the latter figure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the window guard asoriented in FIG. 1, showing the panels semi-diagrammatically andindicating the manner of moving them from extended position to stackedposition;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with the panels in stackedposition, exposing the window;

FIG. 5 is a face view of the device as represented in FIG. 4, beingtaken from the lower right of the latter figure;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken at line 66 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken at line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

I FIG. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken at line 8-8 of FIG. 5; 7

FIG. 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken at line 9-9 of FIG. 5; 7

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken at line 10 10 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view taken at line l1ll of FIG. 5;

FIG. 12 is a large scale detail view of the portion of FIG. 2encircledin dot-dash lines and indicated at 12;

FIG. 13 is a view taken at line 13-43 of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 14 is a face view of a modified form of guard structure.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings, attention is directedfirst to FIGS. 1-5. The window guard construction is indicated in itsentirety at 20 and includes a guard proper 22 made: up of a plurality ofpanels or sections of any suitable number, in this case four,individually identified 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d. The construction alsoincludes a pair of tracks 24 at opposite sides of the window to beguarded, including an upper track 2414 and a lower track 241. Thesetracks are in the form of channels having their open sides facing eachother and of suitable construction, each including a long narrow portion26 having an end element 27 and a short wide portion or tray 28 at oneend having an endelement 29. The long narrow portions 26 extend acrossthe window to be guarded, and preferably slightly therebeyond on bothends, while the tray 28 is of considerably shorter length, but ofgreater width, and dimensioned for accommodating the panels when instacked position.

The panels 22 in themselves may be of conventional kind, preferablyrigid and each including a surrounding rigid frame member 30 and afiller member 32 preferably in the form of a mesh or screen, such asexpanded metal, but which also may be of any character such as a solidimperforate member.

The tracks 24 are mounted on the wall indicated diagrammatically at 34in which the window 36 to be guarded is located, and although the tracksare preferably positioned above and below the window, the invention isof sufficiently broad scope that they may be disposed vertically atopposite sides of the window.

The panelsare of a length to at least cover the window to be guarded andof any additional length as may be desired, and thetracks are spacedapart sufficiently to hold the panels therein without enabling theirremoval from the tracks when so mounted. The panels are of a width suchthat when they are in a common plane in edge-to-edge relation in thelong narrow portions of the tracks, they cover the window to be guarded(FIG. 2). The long narrow portions also are preferably of such width asto snugly receive the panels so as to prevent undue play in transversedirections.

Certain of the panels, i.e., all but the first or leading panel, arepreferably provided with holding clips or cleats 38 (FIGS. 2, 12, 13)welded on opposite sides of the leading edge thereof and extendingforwardly beyond that edge. When the panels are placed in edge-toedgeposition as in FIG. 2, the cleats engage the panel before it to aid insolidifying the panels into an effectively unitary and single guard overthe window.

The trays 28 of the tracks are of sufficient width to receive all of thepanels in stacked position transverse to their planes parallel to thecommon plane they assume when extended. FIG. 3 indicatesdiagrammatically the removal of the panels from extended position intostacked position, i.e., the first panel 22a is removed from the narrowlong portion 26 of the tracks and slid in retracting direction, to theleft in FIGS. 1 and 2, and then moved outwardly away from the surface ofthe building to the outer edge of the trays 28; then the next panel 22bis slid along the tracks into the trays and moved outwardly and fittedagainst the first panel and then the next panels 220 and 22d are movedin a similar matter, and when all are moved into the wide portions, theyare completely removed from the window 36 to be guarded.

Suitable means may be utilized for retaining the panels in eitherextended or stacked position, such aspadlock connected between the endpanel and one of the tracks. Alternatively, a bar 40 (FIG. I) may bemounted as by hinging at 42 at the back edge of the track and swingableinto a position extending across the open side thereof and when in thatposition engaging a clip 44 mounted on the front edge of the track, andsecured thereto by suitable means such as a lock 46. When the bar 40 issecured in the position shown in FIG. 1 when the panels are in extendedposition, the panels are butted against the end elements 27 of the longnarrow portions 26 and the bar prevents removal from that position. Whenit is desired to move the panels into stacked position, the bar isremoved from its locked position of FIGS. 1 and 7, thrown upwardly outof blocking position and then the panels are moved to stacked positionas in FIGS. 4 and where they are butted against the other end element29; the bar again is swung down into blocking position as in FIGS. 4 and9 and locked, where it locks the panels in stacked position and preventstheir removal therefrom.

The dimensionsof the tracks and panels are such that the panels cannotbe removed from the tracks in an un authorized manner, i.e., so long asthe tracks are mounted in proper position, since the panels cannot betilted in either direction from their confined upright position.

A great advantage of the invention is that the panels, or guard proper,can be put into guarding position and removed therefrom in a very simplemanner, with a minimum of time and effort. The panels may be ofconveniently small size for easy manual manipulation, i.e., they can beslid along the tracks with a minimum of effort both to extended positionand to stacked position. It is not necessary to bodily remove the guardwhen it is desired to expose the window, to another and remote storageposition, which hasheretofore usually been necessary, since uponremoving the guard from guarding position it was impractical, if notimpossible, to retain the guard near the window which was guarded. Thepanels can be made of such small size that when they are removed fromthe window and put in stacked position, they occupy an extremely smallspace relative to the total area being guarded.

The foregoing referred to use of the device for guarding a window, butit is also practical to utilize it for guarding a door and in that casethe lower track 24! would be disposed across the treadway of thedoorway. In that case the lower track may be jack-knifed as representedin FIG. 14, which for that purpose includes a fixed wide portion 48 anda narrow long portion 50 hingedly mounted on the wide portion at 52 sothat it can be swung up out of position interfering with the treadway ofthe doorway. FIG. 14 shows the long narrow portion in upper positionwhere it may be detachably secured by suitable means indicated at 54such as a device mounted on the upper track or on the wall or any fixedelement. While a jack-knifing construction in itself is old, in thepresent instance it provides a convenient manner of securing the panels22 in stacked position, while clearing the treadway of the doorway.

I claim:

1. A guard construction for covering an area, comprising,

a pair of tracks, straight throughout their length, at the upper andlower edges of the area, the tracks being channelshape with concavesides interfacing, the tracks being congruent in vertical projection andeach having a narrow section extending the horizontal extent of the areaand a wide section communicating therewith positioned horizontallybeyond the area,

a plurality of panels together forming a guard slidably mounted in thetracks against removal therefrom and supported by the tracks, the panelsbeing of a thickness similar to the width of the narrow portions of thetracks and confined thereby against transverse displacement,

the panels also being detached from each other and individually movablein the tracks, and of such width that when placed contiguously inedge-toedge position they extend, together, across the area andsubstantially the full longitudinal extent of the narrow sections of thetracks,

the width of the panels further being similar to the longitudinal extentof the wide sections of the tracks,

the panels being slidable between their edge-to-edge position in thenarrow sections of the tracks and their position in the wide sectionsthereof in which they are fitted flat together in face-to-faceengagement, the width of the wide sections being similar to thecorresponding thickness of the stack of pan- I els and the wide sectionsconfining the panels against transverse displacement, and

means at the juncture of the narrow and wide sections of the tracks forreleaseably locking the panels respectively in the narrow sections andin the wide sections, selectively.

2. A guard construction according to claim 1 wherein all of the panelsexcept the leading pane-l remote from the wide sections of the trackshave cleats at one edge on opposite faces engageable with correspondingfaces of the panel next ahead thereof, whereby to provide a rigid andeffectively continuous guard member covering the area, confined by thecleats against displacement out of a common plane in which all of thepanels are disposed.

3. A guard construction according to claim 1 adapted for covering anarea forming a doorway and in which the lower track is disposed adjacentthe treadway through the doorway, wherein in the case of the lowertrack, the wide section thereof is mounted on the structure having thearea to be covered by the guard and the narrow section thereof ispivotally mounted on the wide section and otherwise free of connectionof the structure,

the narrow section of the lower track being swingable between a lowerposition in which it is on the treadway and an upper position in whichit is disposed vertically and engages or approaches the upper track,

sections.

1. A guard construction for covering an area, comprising, a pair oftracks, straight throughout their length, at the upper and lower edgesof the area, the tracks being channelshape with concave sidesinterfacing, the tracks being congruent in vertical projection and eachhaving a narrow section extending the horizontal extent of the area anda wide section communicating therewith positioned horizontally beyondthe area, a plurality of panels togetheR forming a guard slidablymounted in the tracks against removal therefrom and supported by thetracks, the panels being of a thickness similar to the width of thenarrow portions of the tracks and confined thereby against transversedisplacement, the panels also being detached from each other andindividually movable in the tracks, and of such width that when placedcontiguously in edge-to-edge position they extend, together, across thearea and substantially the full longitudinal extent of the narrowsections of the tracks, the width of the panels further being similar tothe longitudinal extent of the wide sections of the tracks, the panelsbeing slidable between their edge-to-edge position in the narrowsections of the tracks and their position in the wide sections thereofin which they are fitted flat together in face-to-face engagement, thewidth of the wide sections being similar to the corresponding thicknessof the stack of panels and the wide sections confining the panelsagainst transverse displacement, and means at the juncture of the narrowand wide sections of the tracks for releaseably locking the panelsrespectively in the narrow sections and in the wide sections,selectively.
 2. A guard construction according to claim 1 wherein all ofthe panels except the leading panel remote from the wide sections of thetracks have cleats at one edge on opposite faces engageable withcorresponding faces of the panel next ahead thereof, whereby to providea rigid and effectively continuous guard member covering the area,confined by the cleats against displacement out of a common plane inwhich all of the panels are disposed.
 3. A guard construction accordingto claim 1 adapted for covering an area forming a doorway and in whichthe lower track is disposed adjacent the treadway through the doorway,wherein in the case of the lower track, the wide section thereof ismounted on the structure having the area to be covered by the guard andthe narrow section thereof is pivotally mounted on the wide section andotherwise free of connection of the structure, the narrow section of thelower track being swingable between a lower position in which it is onthe treadway and an upper position in which it is disposed verticallyand engages or approaches the upper track, means for releaseably lockingthe swingable end of the narrow section of the lower track, when invertical poiion038179495 the narrow swingable section of the lower trackbeing operative for engaging the final panel in the stack of panels inthe wide sections of the tracks when that narrow section is moved upinto upper position, and directly confining that panel in the widesections and thereby confining all of the panels therein against removaltherefrom into the narrow sections.